Engineering firm celebrates 100-year milestone

Clifford Smith, 77, remembers his first time working with his late father, T. Baker Smith, the man whose name graces the family’s engineering firm.

Sable LeFrereStaff Writer

Clifford Smith, 77, remembers his first time working with his late father, T. Baker Smith, the man whose name graces the family’s engineering firm.It was about 1952, and “I was in high school,” said Smith, the youngest of his father’s three children. The teen did “survey work in the field and anything else” that was needed, he said. “I loved the outdoors, and I loved to be around my father ... so it was just natural.”That job turned into a 62-year career with the firm that today employs two of Clifford’s adult children — son Kenny Smith is the president, and daughter Annette Huber works in Human Resources — and about 300 other employees.T. Baker Smith will celebrate its 100th year in business this year. A celebration is planned for April 13.The firm is headquartered at 412 S. Van Ave., Houma, and has offices in Thibodaux, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, San Antonio and Houston. “I am tremendously honored. This is a special time for the firm and our family. I am standing on the shoulders of my grandfather, father, employees and unbelievable clients,” Kenny Smith said. Kenny, 50, said anniversary plans have been in the works for about 18 months.“It’ll be a family fun day. We are going to invite family, friends, existing employees, as many old ones as we can find and good clients of the firm,” Kenny said. “It is definitely going to be a party.”The firm’s history dates back to 1913 when T. Baker Smith returned from Tulane University in New Orleans with a degree in civil engineering.“We started out in an office in Houma on Park Avenue. The office was built by my grandfather. It’s over 100 years old, and we still have and own it today,” Clifford said. His father “would have absolutely been flabbergasted” by the approaching milestone. “He certainly wouldn’t believe we would have survived this long.” T. Baker Smith started the company between two world wars and during the Great Depression. Clifford expanded the firm during the industrial age and into the technological era.“We made it this far because of the instinct of survival and wanting to diversify,” Kenny said. “We all have a passion for the firm and improving the community.” The firm has made many important contributions to Terrebonne Parish and surrounding areas, according to government officials.Parish Manager Al Levron said the firm has played a crucial role in bringing the parish in to the 21st century from a historical perspective.“Everywhere you look, you will see some recollection of the work of T. Baker Smith. That includes major road, drainage, bridge and navigation projects,” Levron said.Some of the bridges the firm has designed and constructed include the Combon Bridge and the Bayou Dularge Bridge over the intracoastal canal.In terms of drainage, Levron said the firm basically fathered the concept of developing major drainage systems for the community.“The 1-1B drainage project was an innovative design of using marsh land in conjunction with a drainage system to increase sufficiency and minimize costs,” Levron said. “The drainage system provides flood protection to 35,000 residents of the parish. It consists of pumping stations, canals and storage areas.”Planning and Zoning Director Pat Gordon said he looks at the firm as a partner in the development of the parish.“Many of the large drainage projects started 20 years ago were started by T. Baker Smith. T. Baker Smith has done a wonderful job, and we are happy they are in Terrebonne,” he said.Gordon said his biggest involvement with the firm was for a comprehensive plan put together about 10 years ago.T. Baker Smith was the leading agency handling the project then.“It was a plan for Terrebonne Parish over the next 20 years, focusing on what improvements and goals we should be looking at as population and development increased. They divided the parish into 18 districts and showed us where we should direct capital improvement projects, i.e. roads,” Gordon said.The Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee system was also a part of that plan.The firm also participated in designing and overseeing barrier island projects as well as playing an instrumental role in bringing significant funding to the community through various grants for waste-water and flood-control projects, Levron said.“Terrebonne is a better place as a result of T. Baker Smith’s engineering services,” Levron said.T. Baker Smith moved about 45 years ago to the Van Avenue site it continues to use today.“Through hurricanes, the oil bust, oil spills and river floods, somehow we survived, and we are still here,” Kenny said. “Several thousand people have come through the doors as employees, and, when you think about that, that is pretty amazing.”

Staff Writer Sable LeFrere can be reached at 985-857-2204 or at sable.lefrere@houmatoday.com.